News & Events

Focus Group "Integrated maritime education opportunities in the area of Maritime Technologies

Date: 11/02/2016

The European Commission has commissioned Ecorys Nederland BY in consortium with MRAG Ltd to conduct a study supporting a possible network of maritime training academies and institutes in the Mediterranean sea-basin.

In the framework of this study a series of focus groups are currently being organised across the Mediterranean Sea-basin. Their aim is to exchange opinions & ideas on this matter and to develop a good understanding of the main challenges, opportunities and added value of the creation or enforcement of networks between maritime education and training institutes and organisations.

On behalf of the European Commission Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Maritime Institute of Eastern Mediterranean organized a focus group discussion on the integrated maritime education opportunities in the area of Maritime Technologies that took place on Friday January 15, 2016, at the Cyprus Maritime Academy in Larnaca.

The meeting’s aim was to bring together a limited number of education and training professionals, representatives of local authorities and decision-makers, from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Cyprus in order to freely discuss and exchange cooperation opportunities.

Following a very fruitful discussion all participants agreed that Cyprus can play a pivotal role in the launch of an Eastern Mediterranean initiative, as it is geographically central – with extremely short distances to all countries concerned. Perhaps more importantly, Cyprus has demonstrated to be very capable in building up and maintaining fruitful collaborative relations with partners both within and outside the EU.

Therefore, participants unanimously agreed to take a next step, namely to take the initiative to jointly establish in Cyprus a “Blue Career Centre for the Eastern Mediterranean”.